The Paul Hamilton House, commonly referred to as the Brick House Ruins, is the ruin of a 1725 plantation house on Edisto Island, South Carolina, that burned in 1929. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970 for the unusual architecture of the surviving walls, which is partly based on French Huguenot architecture of the period.

Construction

The house was constructed about 1725 for Paul Hamilton, a wealthy South Carolina planter, on Edisto Island, one of the Sea Islands in what was then the Province of South Carolina. The two- story house was constructed with exterior walls of

brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

imported from Boston, such brick being harder and denser than the local kind. The interior of the home was primarily constructed of locally produced lumber which had been aged seven years. Construction also utilized local

gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...

and sand brought to the site from the Pon Pon.

Architecture

Its architectural design is in keeping with

American colonial architecture American colonial architecture includes several building design styles associated with the colonial period of the United States, including First Period English (late-medieval), French Colonial, Spanish Colonial, Dutch Colonial, and Georgian. T ...

but exhibits French Huguenot influence. Possibly a simplified copy of the c. 1675 Chateau de la Haye d'Esquermes near Loos les Lille, France, evidence of the French influence in its architecture is seen through many stucco enrichments to the exterior and its high-pitched roof.

History

It served as the plantation house for a plantation. The estate was acquired in 1798 by the Jenkins family which maintains ownership to this day. In 1929 the house caught fire, with its wooden portion being largely reduced to ashes and only its brick walls with

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

ed quoins and

trim Trim or TRIM may refer to: Cutting * Cutting or trimming small pieces off something to remove them ** Book trimming, a stage of the publishing process ** Pruning, trimming as a form of pruning often used on trees Decoration * Trim (sewing), or ...

remaining. Until that time, it had not been significantly altered. The ruin was recorded photographically as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey of the National Park Service cataloged at the Library of Congress in both 1936 and 1939. It was declared a National Historic Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places on 15 April 1970. The

South Carolina Department of Archives and History South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

published a summary of the site as a part of South Carolina history. They describe it as an

artifact Artifact, or artefact, may refer to: Science and technology * Artifact (error), misleading or confusing alteration in data or observation, commonly in experimental science, resulting from flaws in technique or equipment ** Compression artifact, a ...

of important early French influence in the Carolinas, considered a "stately and picturesque ruin in its own right." They cite the architecture of the outer walls as being "unique in this country."

Preservation efforts

Following the fire of 1929, some stabilization was performed. Metal supports were used to brace some openings, but their expansion over time has actually damaged some of the material. In addition, the two chimneys (shown in the main photo above) had their top portions removed to prevent their damaging the walls in case of collapse. In February 2013, the National Park Service considered the ruins to be in "emergency" condition due to the major cracks and deformation of the south wall. In 2018, the structure was stabilized. Preservation efforts are ongoing.

References

External links

*
Brick House Ruins, Charleston County (Edisto Island)
at

Application
for placement on the National Register of Historic Places on file with the

* {{National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina Historic American Buildings Survey in South Carolina Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Houses in Charleston County, South Carolina Ruins on the National Register of Historic Places Houses completed in 1725 Plantation houses in South Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Charleston County, South Carolina Burned houses in the United States 1725 establishments in South Carolina Former buildings and structures in South Carolina